ML19289C062
| ML19289C062 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Bailly |
| Issue date: | 12/01/1978 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Percy C SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7812080160 | |
| Download: ML19289C062 (4) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:scank L.s s/no/rt l2 co M p evim ly DISTRIBUTION HDenton Docket File RDeYoung Tad / > 117/ EP-1 Reading DMuller /ocketNo.50-367 NRC PDR VAMoore D Local PDR RGeckler CSmith,N u S.S RBal1ard KHayden MGroff ECase GErtter(ED0704749) VStello MSlater The Honoral,le Cnarles H. Percy RBoyd MBridgers United States Senate RMattson OCA Washington, D. C. 20510 DBunch Secy Mail Facility (3) Kitty Dragonett NMSS
Dear Senator Percy:
This is in reply to your referral of a letter dated September 29, 1978 from your constituent, Ms. Barbara Scholl, in which she raises questions concerning nuclear power in Illinois. We are enclosing answers to 6:. questions which you may wish to use in your response to Ms. Scholl. Sincerely, ,bcc. 0 $ I29'Y S/ Cfd f ,r-Deput;. x ::: :..
Enclosures:
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~ ~ 1. Q. Are you concerned about the proxinity of the Zion and Bailly plants to the downtown Chicago area? Is not the Dailly site a nere thirty niles southeast of downtown Chicago, in violation of flRC rules? A. The regulations pronulgated by the flRC do not set precise distances of nuclear power plants from populated areas. The regulations (10 CFR Part 100, pertinent sections enclosed) indicate that the actual distance to population centers depends on engineering design and environmental features of the specific plant and site involved. The regulations set forth requirements which must be net, these may be net in any of a number of ways. In brief, they may be met by engineering specific safeguards (such as increasing shielding) or by having the exclusion area sufficiently large such that the requirements are met. Coth the Zion and Bailly sites and pl nt design neet the specified require- ? ments, even though the Bailly site is approximately thirty miles from the Loop in downtown Chicago. Zion is located farther away (perhaps 50 miles, depending on nap measurenents). 2. Q. Do you feel the State of Illinois can technologically and financially manage the safe and effective storage of the ever increasing number of spent fuel rods and other radioactive wastes? A. The State of Illinois is not required to be responsible for the technological or financial nanagement of spent fuel rods. Utility companies store spent fuel rods on privately cwned land and are regulated and licensed by the V. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comnission (NRC). The URC conducts a thorough review of the technical and financial plans of an applicant before issuing or denying a license. The NRC conducts inspections of such spent fuel storage to assure compliance with all regulations. The State of Illinois, on its own initiative, also has the Illinois Department of Health monitor all facilities using radioactive materials. The Illinois Department of Health is qualified to conduct this monitoring. Low-level radioactive wastes have been disposed of at an f:RC licensed site near Sheffield, Illinois by the Muclear Engineering Company (MEC0). The land is owned by the State of Illinois. Following completion of operation of the site by NEC0, the State will be responsible for assuring naintenance. To help provide for future expenses of maintaining the site, the State has collected disposal fees from the users of the site. Any continued operations at the Sheffield site are awaiting completion of licensing review and hearings by the tiRC which will include consideration of the technical and financial responsibilities to maintain the site after completien of operations. These same issues will also be considered carefully in any proposals for other storage and disposal siteA.,,0 0 91 n +.... _................................
g,, D**]D *]Dh3 {p. + .@ N @ ^U + f 4 1 '3. Q. How do you feel about Illinois being the depository for toxic and radioactive wastes from other states? ( A. The utilization and conservation of energy resources and the { disposal of wastes from energy generation is a national problem and will be resolved best if considered in that light. All states generate some radioactive waste. Requiring each state to have its own disposal facility is not a desirable solution. It should be noted that no injuries to the public health or safety have occurred from the disposal of radioactive waste. By con-tinuinc safe practices, none is anticipated. 4. Q. Would you agree that it seems reasonable to halt the production of such radioactive weste products until a satisfactory method of dealing with them has been effected, either detoxification or some system of storage that doesn't endanger by contamination our environment or that of our progeny? - Do you know of any recent . developments in that direction by any party willing to take responsibility for these wastes? A. a. The question of whether or not to stop nuclear reactor licensing until a radioactive waste repository is operating f has been directly addressed by the NRC. After a thorough study, the NRC concluded that there was no legal requirement l that NRC find that high level wastes can be safely disposed of as a precondition to issuance of power reactor operating i' licenses, but that there was reason for high confidence that a satisfactory way to dispose of radioactive wastes will become available. Based on this confidence, the NRC decided, to continue reactor licensing. This decision was challenged in court. After a thorough review, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the NRC legal interpretation. l l The status of radioactive waste disposal technology has also been reviewed by many other private and government agencies including the Environmental Protec. tion Agency, the U. S. Geological Survey, the American Physical Society, and Mitre. Corporation. All have expressed confidence that the problem of waste disposal will be resolved. b. Responsibility for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes must, by law, be assumed by the Federal government. The Department of Energy has this responsibility and has a major effort directed toward developing a repository for disposal of these wastes. The NRC will independently review i DOE work and is currently preparing to conduct such a j licensing review. 5. Q. Do you believe that nuclear power is a necessary source of i electricity for our state: our country? A. This question can only be answered by Senator Percy. 10 092
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